Use a photocopied worksheet as a resource trigger for ideas.

Many worksheets have lots of great ideas. Instead of giving every student the same worksheet select activities that are worthwhile and present them in a different format.

How?

• Use the worksheet activity as a springboard for students to design and complete their own activities.
• Write up the activity on a large sheet of paper and let students develop ideas to create and complete the work. 
• Use your whiteboard or smartboard to write up and present the activity in a new way. 
•  Provide blank paper, plenty of sharpened pencils, coloured paper and rulers for drawing lines and charts.
• Provide one worksheet between two students and tell them to make decisions about who does what and how they will present the final work. Once completed ask them what they did, how it worked, what they learnt, what they would do differently next time? Double their thinking!

How can you adapt and change the activity to increase your student’s curiosity and make it meaningful and challenging? 

Watching students gather round an instructional activity reading and discussing what needs to be done is more exciting, more pleasurable and more stimulating than passing out another worksheet.

Students talking, organising, cooperating and getting on with the task develops so many other skills. 

Maths, spelling, letter recognition, writing  – any activity can be developed into a different format rather than a photocopied worksheet.

What else could be presented instead of twenty-seven photocopied sheets that required students to colour in the same dragon?

Idea – Use Criteria: 

• Draw a dragon that is over 15 cms tall.
• Use five or more colours in your picture.
• Add something to your dragon that will make him magical.
• Add a background that shows where your dragon lives.
• Perfect colouring required.

Note: Instead of colouring fill the spaces with dots, stripes, zigzags, patterns. Check websites for ways to shade drawings, e.g. hatching, cross hatching, scribble techniques, contour lines.) Students from all year levels quickly learn the new techniques. 

Colouring in activities can be so much more. Students from all year levels have the opportunity to think, create, discuss and share a wealth of ideas simply because they are presented with options.

If a worksheet is being used it is important that every student has the work corrected with written or verbal feedback.

How? Roving!

In this era of data collection, feedback to every student is vital. Every activity should be corrected.

Why?

• You are showing respect for the efforts put in by students.
• You provide valuable and meaningful feedback as work is being completed.
• You demonstrate that you value the work you have presented by correcting it. 
• You have the opportunity to teach at the point of need, there and then, as students are working.
• You have the opportunity to observe and hear what students know and have achieved. Take a photo of the work, jot down some notes as you rove. This is data collection right there, right now!

Rove around the classroom as the students are working. There is no need for students to finish an activity before correction and feedback is provided. Start as soon as the students start. 

Great heading, I like the way your writing is clear and readable, great idea, yes I can see you have nailed that answer, that is a very informative sentence you have written, here’s a tip.   

Keep roving, touch base with every student several times during the session, correct work with ticks and comments. Instant feedback to students is a great motivator to keep them going. Keep up the verbal and written praise. It’s your job to teach and provide feedback. Here’s the perfect time to do just that!

Never settle for a worksheet when there are other possibilities to explore. Consider how many worksheets students must have in a lifetime of schooling. 

Extra Idea:

Get your students to think about different ways to present and do an activity rather than the worksheet. The ideas will astound you!

My Challenge to You:

BE A CHANGE AGENT – a person that takes an active role to promote change.

Motivate your school to think differently. Rather than teachers gathering around the photocopier in the morning, challenge them to do the activity differently.

• Raise the issue at a staff meeting. 
• Try a De Bono Six Thinking Hats session with a selection of worksheets provided by teachers. Use Green Hat Thinking. This is the hat of creativity, alternatives, interesting proposals, provocative ideas and changes. The purpose of the green hat perspective is to look at things in new ways. It’s amazing the ideas that will be generated when you challenge people’s thinking.
• Have a five minute session during your team meeting so teachers can share ideas they have used instead of a photocopied sheet.
• Keep the momentum going.
• Set a weeks challenge in your school for teachers to think creatively and use different ways of presenting activities rather than the photocopied worksheet.

The benefits for teachers and students are worth the time, energy and effort spent in presenting activities in new and different ways.

So go on, start today!